I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for stamping flat objects of different sizes and thicknesses, particularly postal items, which are arranged in a vertical or approximately vertical manner on a feed table, are singly removed therefrom, successively moved past a stamp and are conveyed to a depositing table. The fed and deposited objects are arranged in planes parallel to one another and the feed and depositing tables are successively arranged in a direction perpendicular to said planes. The objects are removed from the feed table at right angles to said direction and are supplied to the depositing table.
II. Description of the Prior Art
In such a known apparatus, the objects are stacked on the feed table in such a way that their rear edges, which are in the conveying direction during singling, engage against a common stop. During singling, the objects are then removed vertically upwards. As such apparatuses are normally used for stamping postal items, particularly letters, which can have widely varying sizes and weight, they suffer from the following disadvantages.
The singling device must be able to act over a considerable length compared with the objects to be singled, because the leading edges of the objects can vary widely between individual objects. Errors can also occur during singling, because the singling device can simultaneously take up and convey away several objects. Complicated measures are required for preventing this disadvantageous action. In addition, during singling considerable forces have to be applied, because the objects have to be raised. This force must be based on the maximum possible weight, although the weight of most objects is much lower.